Transfield services has been selected for this stage of the roll-out and has set up temporary offices in the centre of town in Kiama while construction is underway.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

The site covers approximately 27,000 metres of fibre. Transfield had already completed around 24,000 metres as of December 2010.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Of the 27,000, 4698 metres of trenched fibre will be laid out in the site.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Workers were laying fibre into the ground right up until two days before Christmas.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

The site covers 2343 homes in total. 1764 homeowners (75 per cent) had consented to have NBN Co install fibre to their homes as of December 2010.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Once a homeowner consents, workers typically dig trenches along the side of the house to connect the home to the network with fibre.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

The workers then fill the trench and replace the grass. NBN Co said the aim was to minimise the impact on residents.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

An NBN Co logo on top of a pit covering.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Inside a typical pit. There are some 400 of these pits across the site.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

A typical drilling machine used by the workers to dig trenches for the fibre.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Some of the rock types dug up around the site. Basalt, as has been found at the Kiama site, rates seven out of 10 on a scale of hardness.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Where the network isn't being laid underground, fibre is brought to the home via telegraph poles.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Each home is connected to the NBN through fibre that is run up telegraph poles.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

There are 16 cabinets in the site that will manage every connection to the NBN.

Published: January 9, 2011 -- 21:00 GMT (13:00 PST)

Caption by: Josh Taylor

(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

When a home has requested a service over the NBN, a technician will access the cabinet in order to make this happen. Each home will be allocated a space in the cabinet, regardless of whether the home opted-in to the NBN at the time of the roll-out.

NBN roll-out in action: Kiama

Work is well underway in putting fibre in the ground of the first mainland roll-out sites for the Federal Government's $37.5 billion National Broadband Network project. ZDNet Australia took a trip to one of the sites to see how the project was unfolding.

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(Credit: Josh Taylor/ZDNet Australia)

Of the 27,000, 4698 metres of trenched fibre will be laid out in the site.